Bill and I have been dating for almost three months, and we see each other a few times a week. Between attending classes five days a week, working a part-time job at the bookstore where we met, and spending time with my family and friends, it’s nice to know that I finally have a boyfriend. Bill is kind, charming, intelligent, funny, and the perfect boyfriend in so many ways. Even my parents like Bill; they already consider him a part of the family.

Bill told me he has a surprise planned for us this weekend, and I am looking forward to what it might be. He didn’t tell me where we were going, he didn’t tell me what I should pack or what I should wear, but I’m still excited because it will be the first time that we will get to spend time together away from home. I decided to pack lightly, but since it’s early spring, I want to make sure to pack the essentials like sunscreen, a hat, a light sweater in case it gets too cold, a picnic lunch in the old green cooler my dad bought when I was a kid, my phone charger, thirty dollars, my phone, and in case I get bored the latest Morgan Matson book. Well, now it looks like I’m all packed and ready for my trip.

Bill is supposed to pick me up at my parents’ house any minute now, and I can hardly contain my excitement. Bill drives a dark blue 2009 Toyota Camry, and although I have never been in his car before, I’m excited to see how Bill drives. Today, I’m wearing a gray cardigan, with a light pink T-shirt, my favorite pair of dark jeans, and my brown sandals, and I wonder what Bill will think of my outfit because it’s not one that he has seen me in before. Bill once told me how I dress reminds him of his grandma, but I wasn’t offended by his comment because my family has always told me that I dress like a grandma, too.

Bill arrives to pick me up, and I can hardly contain my excitement any longer, and no matter how many questions I’ve asked Bill, he hasn’t been willing to tell me where we are going on the surprise trip he planned. The weather today is warm and sunny, and there isn’t a cloud in sight, so Bill and I decide to roll down the windows in his car; he puts on an oldies station, and we both take in the sights and sounds of everything surrounding us.

Before I know it, we arrive at our destination, a picturesque seaside town called Turtle Bay, located right on the coast of Mermaid’s Cove. Bill couldn’t have planned a more perfect vacation for us because I told him that I had never been to the beach before. We check into our room at the Starfish Hotel and find that our entire room is decorated with starfish, sea turtle, and mermaid décor, which isn’t even surprising considering how cute this town already seems. It’s far too cold to go swimming, so Bill and I decide to go on a walk along the beach, and while we’re walking, we decide to collect some seashells. I find scallop shells of orange, pink, and purple, and Bill tells me that they’re called calico scallop shells, and they are one of the most beautiful things that I have ever seen.

After a short walk along the beach, we both decide that we should eat our picnic lunch, so Bill spreads out a giant green blanket on the sand, and we begin to eat our lunch. Our lunch consisted of turkey and Swiss cheese sandwiches, strawberries, apple juice, goldfish crackers, granola bars, and chocolate chip cookies that my mom baked for us. Although Bill can’t stand my mother, he does agree that she makes the best chocolate chip cookies.

After finishing our picnic lunch, we both decided to explore the town of Turtle Bay and everything it has to offer. So, we walk back to our hotel and drive down to the Turtle Bay boardwalk to see what types of adventures await us there. The boardwalk is full of souvenir shops, food stands, carnival rides, carnival games, and surprisingly very few people since we decided to take our vacation during the off-season things aren’t as busy as they are during the summer tourist season. While Bill and I are walking, we end up stumbling upon a bookstore called Mermaid’s Literary Lagoon, so we decide to stop in and see what we find. Unlike most bookstores, it has mermaid paintings and pictures on the walls, and most of the books are about all things ocean-related, like mermaids, sea creatures, pirates, and sailing.

I end up picking up a book called A Mermaid’s Song Of Love, which is about a mermaid named Maria who ends up falling in love with a young widowed sailor named Calvin who lost his wife in a tragic boating accident when he was twenty-two. The book sounds fascinating to me and sounds like the type of book that I would want to bring home with me because who doesn’t love a good romance story about a mermaid who falls in love with a sailor? Bill ends up stumbling upon a lot of old maps that were used to guide sailors on their ships, and since we’ve both found something that we want to take home, we end up checking out and heading back onto the boardwalk to find somewhere to go for dinner.

As we are walking, we stumble upon a restaurant called Keepers Of The Sea and we decide that it would be the perfect spot for a romantic dinner. The hostess at the restaurant seats us at a small table made out of a wooden steering wheel from an old pirate ship. The table has a glass top, and underneath it is seashells of various colors. While we are waiting for our waiter to take our order, we take a moment to gaze into each other’s eyes and think of how lucky we are to be in love.

 Bill says, “Belle, despite dressing like my grandmother most of the time, you’re the most beautiful girl in the entire world, and there are so many things that I love about you, like your witty sense of humor, your ability to have intellectual conversations, and being around you is the best thing in the world to me.” I reply to Bill by saying, “I am so lucky that I get to call you my boyfriend, and thank you for planning such a wonderful vacation for us to go on together. You’re my best friend and the person I love spending time with the most. I love you, Bill.” Bill replies, “I love you too.”

Before we know it, our waiter comes and takes our order, I end up ordering shrimp scampi with a side of garlic bread, and Bill orders a dish called Neptune’s Treasures, which consists of a lobster tail, bacon-wrapped scallops, broiled fish, and two crab cakes. After our meal comes Bill and I end up spending most of dinner gazing into each other’s eyes and thinking how lucky we are to be together in this moment. Our dinner ends up being good and then once we finish, we decide to order a slice of chocolate cake for dessert.

After we’re finished eating our dessert, we head back to the car, and Bill drives back to the hotel. Once we get back to the hotel, we end up getting our pajamas on and heading to bed because, after a long day of adventuring, we’re so exhausted that we need a good night’s sleep. But before bed, I look over at Bill and say, “I’m the luckiest girl in the world, and I am so lucky that I get to call you my boyfriend because you are the best thing that has ever happened to me and the greatest treasure in my life is you.” Bill responds by saying nothing at all but kisses me slowly on the lips, and we drift off to sleep in each other’s arms.

This was written by our co-founder and editor, Hanna Perry.